Hello, I'm Alaina Scott. Welcome to Tire Business NewsPoint, your video source for exclusive tire industry news.
Yokohama Tire Corp. executives and employees joined state and local government officials and dozens of local dignitaries Sept. 23 in a field a few miles north of West Point, Mississippi, to break ground on a $300 million truck and bus tire plant that will bring 500 jobs to the area in the coming two years.
The new plant could grow to four times that size, which could require an additional investment of $700 million or more.
Tire Business reporter Bruce Davis attended the ceremony and spoke to Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, who outlined his state's commitment to the project.
Yokohama Tire Corporation CEO Hikomitsu Noji likened the selection process to a courtship.
Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Mississippi President Tadaharu Yamamoto outlined his company's commitments to Mississippi.
Yokohama plans to start production by October 2015.
For more information on the plant and Yokohama's plans for North America, see the Sept. 30 print edition of Tire Business
For Tire Business NewsPoint, I'm Alaina Scott, thanks for joining us. Be sure to see our next exclusive report on Oct. 7.